14-Year-Old Fatally Electrocuted After Using Cell Phone in Bathtub

A 14-year-old girl from Lubbock, Texas, died this weekend after using her cell phone in the bathtub.

Advertisement - Continue Reading Below

Madison Coe was relaxing at her father's house in Lovington, New Mexico, when the current from the charging device electrocuted the teen, her grandmother told local news station KCBD. "There was a burn mark on her hand," Donna O'Guinn said. "That was just very obvious that that's what had happened."

Coe either plugged her phone into the bathroom outlet, or grabbed the already-charging device while sitting in the tub, according to her mom, Angela O'Guinn-Downs. "[Her dad] found her," she told People. "He had knocked on the door to tell her it was time to get out and she said okay ... He went back 20 minutes later, she didn't respond and he went in."

Most Popular

As an emergency medical technician, Coe's dad did everything he could to save his child, but it wasn't enough. She died early Sunday morning.

Family and friends remember the teen as a smart, positive student who played basketball and the tuba at Terra Vista Middle School. Coe was set to attend high school in Houston next year.

"She was such a bright, vibrant, very intelligent, loving, caring young lady," O'Guinn-Downs said of her daughter. "She had such a huge heart."

Now, the Coe family is trying to spread the word about proper electrical safety. "This is such a tragedy that doesn't need to happen to anyone else," O'Guinn told KCBD. "We need to be aware. We need to teach our children that electricity and water do not mix."

"In general, electric outlets in bathrooms and kitchen should be a safe distance from a sink, bath or shower," she adds. "They should be GFCI (ground fault circuit interrupting), which help limit the danger of electric shocks."

Monitoring the wiring, outlets and extension cords in other rooms can also reduce the risk of overheating or overloading. While most parents know to cover outlets around little ones, basic safety checks can also help protect older kids as well.